It is known to retain vehicle wheels on vehicles by lug nuts, either locking or non-locking, which thread to the lugs of the vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,635, Brown et al, Plastic Vehicle Wheel Cover, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,035, Kondo et al, Synthetic Resin Vehicle Wheel Cover, show the retention of plastic wheel covers on vehicle wheels by the engagement of the ribbed ends of slotted or unslotted tubular extensions of the cover engaging annular grooves of the lug nuts. It is also known to provide a plastic wheel cover with flanged openings which receive externally threaded lug nuts and to retain the cover to the wheel by flanged plastic caps which thread to the lug nuts and engage the flanges of the cover openings U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,870, Eshler et al, Wheel Trim Retention, assigned to the assignee of this invention, discloses such a retention having the additional feature of retaining the plastic caps to the wheel cover so as to avoid loss.
It would be desirable to have a wheel cover with integral tubular extensions that receive the lug nuts and a retaining ring encircling the tubular extensions for assuring integrity of the engagement of the extension with lug nut and deter unauthorized removal of the wheel cover.